To determine the relationship between selected occupational characteristics and attitudes of New York City middle-school teachers and their potential mobility within the system, a 33-item questionnaire was distributed to all teachers in a random sample of 12 junior high schools and four middle schools. The questionnaire was designed to obtain data for classifying respondents as classroom and career teachers, determine respondents' opinions and the degree to which these opinions influenced their potential mobility, and elicit suggestions for reducing teacher mobility. It was found that the potentially mobile teacher feels that he a) teaches in a school with frequent discipline problems, b) teaches in a school where the staff views the pupils as having little educational potential, and c) received inadequate support from the school administration. Respondents recommended that in order to reduce mobility a) preservice preparation programs that present a realistic view of the teaching profession should be developed; b) supervisors should guide and assist teachers rather than evaluate them; c) parents and teachers should be included in the policy-making process; and d) parents should be hired as classroom aides. The results of the survey are equivocal because only 17.75% of the random sample responded. It is therefore recommended that caution be exercised in generalizing the results and that the study be replicated using a more adequate sample. (HMD)

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